Tag: BN

(Still remember the PDRM’s courtesy in the previous Bersih rallies organised and in attendance by none other than fellow Malaysians? Why it is not the same strong treatment against unwanted armed foreigners who also wants a piece of the country? The real question to be asked perhaps is on which side does the police and the Government are when it comes to the situation in Lahad Datu. It is getting more suspicious by the day. Image source: Facebook)

A couple days ago, I was flying back – the MAS flight was not that full and the in-flight service from the award winning cabin crew was top notch as usual.

Just when we had passed Malaysian airspace and the plane started the descent, a short video on KLIA and Malaysia (hosted by the lovely Asha Gill) was shown on the overhead display and the foreigners around me seemed tantalized. One thing that Asha Gill said in the end and that brought tears to my eyes – she said she can go on and on Malaysia and there was a twinkle in her eyes when she said and I saw my fellow passengers had the same facial impression. I was feeling very proud indeed of my country and where it stands in the eyes of the world. For me, that is the truth and reality and I am sure it is the same for most of us.

But coming back to ‘tanah air‘, you will be confronted with unexplained insanity such as this:-

Police are still in negotiations with the 100-odd armed intruders, claiming to be from the Royal Sulu Army, who have been holding the authorities at bay in Kampung Tanduo, a coastal village 90km from Lahad Datu since Feb 12.

Oh by the way, let’s not talk about the detention and the deportation of a certain Australian senator under the disguise of national threat which happened about the same time. That simply does not add up when one talks about national security. It is quite dumb if you ask me for the only overwhelming reason for this deportation seems to be the senator is pro-opposition and not because actual threat to national security (if you put this and the Lahad Datu intrusion side by side, what one lone unarmed elected lawmaker from a developed country could do?). In the end, it reflects rather badly on us (who claim that we have fair elections year in, year out) and with general elections coming up any time now, it appears to be nothing but dirty politics in play at the end.

But instead let’s look at the bigger boo-boo that is happening in Lahad Datu. Let’s take a step back and consider these things:-

These men are heavily armed

They are foreigners who insist that part of Sabah belongs to them and determined to get their wish done (even though how they going to do that is still a big mystery)

Our armed forces are not weaklings and is a force to reckon with in this side of the continent and is ever ready to face any intrusion from in and out of the country (they have proven themselves many times over)

Is it because they do not ‘upset’ other people from the same region in the past (probably ‘Malaysianised‘ under the project IC) and cause them to vote against the Government for the next elections? And all the sudden the number of votes had become more important than the sovereignty of the country? Or is it because the police have the inside information that the group had planted other intruders in other area in Sabah and will resort to mayhem if the security forces storm them with bloody consequences? That makes some sense but doesn’t giving longer time to this group only allows them to entrench even deeper?

The Philippine Daily Inquirer also says Malaysia is in a no-win situation as a result of the standoff in Sabah. “If it uses deadly force on a small group of armed Filipino Muslims now holed up in the village … members of the fiercest of Philippine Moro tribe, the Tausogs of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, will retaliate. “If, on the other hand, Malaysia compromises with the armed group purportedly belonging to the Sultanate of Sulu, it will be perceived as a weakling by its neighbours.”

But that’s not all. A commentary by Ramon Tulfo in the same newspaper makes compelling reading because we are not talking about just the men and women who arrived by boat three weeks ago, but something more sinister. He says that even before the landing of 200 men in Lahad Datu, the Sulu sultanate had sent armed men in small groups to Sabah to escape notice from authorities. “The armed groups are being coddled by Tausogs in the Malaysian state,” he wrote.

Or is it because the government have screwed up things for these people (in the last peace deal) and feeling guilty (or rather worried the truth will be out) and buying time to sweep things under the carpet? Something seems not right indeed and the same echoed by the Pakatan politicians:-

The Barisan Nasional government could be using the Lahad Datu incident to divert people’s attention from the IC-for-votes Royal Commission of Inquiry proceedings and the Manuel Amalilio scandal, claimed PKR. PKR vice-president Tian Chua said that he found it bizarre that the Malaysian government was being lenient with the armed Filipinos now camped in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

“It’s been one week since they arrived. The BN government has a lot to explain,” Tian Chua said at press conference held at the party headquarters here today.

Tian Chua, who is also Batu MP, said that he found it irrational for the Sulu Sultanate to send armed men to intrude into Sabah just because of a historical claim. “I do recognise Sulu’s historical link to Sabah but to send 100 armed men to take over the state is not rational,” he said. Tian Chua also took a swipe at the immigration authorities for failing to stop the intruders from arriving at Lahad Datu.

“What are we negotiating? When they are leaving or something else? It all look very dramatic to me,” he said.

And what kind message the government is sending out by continuing to negotiating with armed terrorist group? That any armed groups can waltz in and the armed forces of Malaysia will step by and will negotiate with them to leave peacefully? Didn’t they learned anything from the Americans in dealing with the terror groups?

What happens if one day, another armed factions from the neighbouring countries (mind you we still have a bloody conflict down south of Thailand) or worst likes of Al-Qaeda decide to do the same? What is the point of buying high-tech submarines, cream of Russian fighter interceptors and best of the military fire power when we are reduced to using roses and soft approach to armed men? Why we have not gotten some of our best snipers and take some of the ringleaders with a shot to the head (after giving one sole deadline of 24 hours of course) and move our commandos to sweep out the rest of the intruders from the country? After all, we already had these intruders cornered and we know where they all are.

And tactically, the delays by the armed forces in flushing out these intruders and sent them, back to whatever hole they crawl from may have dire consequences. Whilst it may have gained valuable time for the security forces to do their intelligence and reassess the correct tactics (do they need a small platoon or need to do carpet-bombing) to take down this group when the order finally comes, it had also allowed the group to dig in further defensively which may prolong bloodshed once the battle to flush out the intruders starts. A well defended area may take longer time to take down but it will be taken down eventually given our military might but at what cost?

The thing is when armed men storm into this country uninvited, chase away Malaysians from their homes and their way of life and continued to show their middle finger to the sovereignty of this country, the last thing we want the Government to do is to hold back the quick retaliation with the strongest measures possible and proceed instead continue to negotiate and imply that we are soft and weak and willing to do anything to avoid bloodshed on side of the armed intruders. So once again, question must be asked on whose side the Government and the police really are in this conflict? One hope that the Government will come to their senses and end this intrusion now and without further delays or further negotiations. We have given all the time to these intruders to make up their mind and they have made their stand very, very clear.

(With elections around the corner, expect more incidents of talking cock to be sprouting out from the foamy mouth of the many half-past-six politicians around the country and on a more regular basis too. Image source: http://www.olx.com.sg)

In Malaysia, I think we have come to a point where we can take in usual talk cock from the politicians in this country on a regular basis but when it comes to the Prime Minister himself talking cock and even though you may say that you have see it all, heard it all, you should know that at this level, even talking cock has it’s limit

I do not know what kind of “super-powers” that the BN Government intends to empower MACC in the future – perhaps that all important power to prosecute or perhaps able to throw witnesses from the windows legally, I don’t know but why wait until the next general elections?

Isn’t BN already running the show at the Federal level and despite oppositions and MP walking out, have easily passed two suppressive laws in recent times? I am sure that if the BN Government is empowering MACC with enough powers to hang those who commit corruption up on a high pole, Pakatan politicians and the rakyat would be very supportive as well. There is really no need for two-thirds control of the Parliament and no need to wait for the general elections (unless it is going to enact laws that make obvious incidents like NFC untouchable to anyone).

Voters are not dungus and they don’t like to be taken for a ride – it is easy to see clearly when one is talking cock – loud and clear

It could be just an hypothetical question but here’s one last post before the holidays…

This article by Citizen Nades on the NFC mess was a good one and if you had missed reading this in The Sun last Wednesday, here it is in verbatim (basically it nails the same thing that every tax payer has in their mind):-

Be honest and answer all questions R. Nadeswaran

RULE No 1 in a calamity, according to the gurus of crisis communications, is that you should never run away from a problem as it will not bring about a solution. The more you try to hide, the more will be out in the open. You can never solve a crisis by remaining silent. The more you put a spin on a crisis, the more attention it attracts. The golden rule is: Be honest and answer all questions.

Today’s column is not an exercise in public relations or crisis communications, but three bulletins from Ghazalie Abdullah who describes himself as one who “counsels, writes, speaks, designs, articulates and steers corporations on using public relations to achieve their corporate, financial and marketing goals” provoked some thought into the whole affair involving the National Feedlot Corporation.

On Dec 23 last year, journalists received a statement from Ghazali which read: “As part of the ongoing investigations, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers visited National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd today. The management and staff welcomed the visit and extended their full cooperation. It is the view of the National Feedlot Corporation that this afternoon’s visit by the MACC was not a raid as reported.”
Really? Did they come for Darjeeling tea, muffins and scones or teh tarik and kuih? Perhaps a dictionary would have helped explain the meaning of the word “raid”. If they came a visiting like we visit each other’s open houses, would they be carting away CPUs and files?

The second followed a day later. It said that “NFC Chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail wishes to clarify to the media that the Datuk apprehended by the police recently, is not related to him or any member of his family.”

How did anyone know the identity of the Datuk when the police had not even produced him in court or charged him? Ghazali must be aware that the media in Malaysia never identify any suspect or arrested person unless he or she is charged with an offence. Surely, Salleh or Ghazali must have had inside information!

But what arrived in the inbox two days ago was something extraordinary. For starters, the statement said: “With police investigations on NFC reported concluded, NFC has today emerged to clarify the allegation that directors of the company have been receiving huge unjustifiable salaries.”

Who decides if the police have concluded investigations, and even if they have done so, it is for the police to say so. Emerged? From where – from hiding or from a taxpayer-funded holiday?

Executive director Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh clarified that the directors were earning nowhere near the overstated figures saying that the relevant authorities have the information on their payroll and the bank statements to match.

On a more serious note, I believe him because there has been no documentary evidence presented by the claimants to back the figures which looked exaggerated. But instead of facing the media and answering the questions, why has the company which has “emerged” hiding behind statements?

Wan Shahinur not only assured but “reassured the public should not be unduly alarmed by such postings in the internet that offered distortions and incorrect information.”

Thank you, but how can taxpayers be assured if the amounts have been distorted when the correct figures have not been presented?

He also says the expenses incurred on corporate credit cards were for business development. The business development expenses by the four directors, he says, reflect the magnitude of its multi-million ringgit sales.

But can he tell how much such expenses were. After all, it was taxpayers’ money to the tune of RM250 million that got the NFC going and technically, we are all stakeholders and have a right to know.

While the NFC can beat its chest and claim it has “emerged”, there’re only bits and pieces of information that are “emerging”. It has not denied the purchase of condominium units in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and would NFC care about telling us about the purchase?

Surely, if it was the figment of imagination of some anonymous writer in cyberspace, all right-thinking people will disbelieve him or her. But at media conferences, documents and photographs have been produced to substantiate the claims and the “emergence” of NFC has not seen it fit to tackle these issues.

As much as this writer wants to believe that everything is above board, it becomes painful when selected issues are addressed.

This problem will not go away with terse and selective statements. There’s a Tamil proverb which says that you cannot hide a whole pumpkin in a plate of rice, which is exactly what NFC is trying to do.

Once and for all, put all the cards on the table, come clean and put up your hands if you have done wrong. Only then will the whole nation believe anything that comes from NFC itself or through consultants and counsellors.

R. Nadeswaran says the public has a right to know how taxpayers’ funds are used when the government doles them out to entrepreneurs. He is theSun‘s UK correspondent based in London and can be reached at: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com

The allegations of misuse of public funds by NFC stakeholders has been mind boggling – from buying condominiums to settlement of personal credit cards. I am not sure where it will end. The authorities are investigating these allegations of course and the Minister in question has been asked to go on a long leave and NFC’s assets frozen. Now she is suing back too and this may drag things further, at least at the political arena. But basic and simple answer to questions raised is what we want at the end of the day

2010 was unfortunately “their” year but they deserved it – they played their cards rights

One of the few best things that BN under Najib did in 2010 (although it was long, long overdue) was getting a new President for MIC but then again, MIC is old news and the old President did not go away with empty hands. He is still around on tax-payers’ payroll. But that is not the main reason why I say 2010 was the year of the BN. Let’s look back on what went wrong for PR and what went right for BN (in no particular order).

Went Wrong for PR

Keshwinder Singh of PR jumped ship to BN with a very flimsy excuse. People were getting tired of the “frogs” jumping out from the opposition camp

Resignation of Zaid Ibrahim from PKR who went out to form his own political party. Zaid was seen as the independent entity within Pakatan Rakyat to merge all the opposition parties

But frankly speaking, more damage done to Pakatan Rakyat by Pakatan Rakyat themselves than by BN and so-call NGOs. If you think about it, some of the hard facts that Pakatan Rakyat failed to capitalised in ensuring continued voters’ support in the next general elections are:-

Selangor and Penang under Pakatan Rakyat is doing better than the time it was under BN. There is clear sense of accountability and reduction of corruption under PR than under BN

Samy Vellu is not out of the picture – he is still leeching tax-payers’ money in his new assignment (out of the many thousands eligible Malaysians, the Government cannot find no other better person?) and he is yet to be made accountable for the MAIKA fiasco

No head up on the PKFZ investigations and prosecution of those had raped millions of tax-payer’s money despite big fishes charged by MACC but who to is going to repay back the millions burned in this project

MACC is yet to be very effective – corruption is still riding high in East Malaysia according to reports in the Sarawak Report

BN is still weak in management of tax payers money – more so after Idris Jala warned of the high subsidies been paid out to keep prices artificially low. Still remember Tourism Minister RM1.28 million overseas trips?

The “Allah” issue – how well unity and integration among Malaysians been in 2010? BN is still consist of race based political parties but PR is more spread out and represents Malaysia as whole better.

Politician’s wife interference with the administration tasks and abuse of tax payers’ money (the lady is going on 3 nation trip but on who’s money?)

The case of Teoh Beng Hock who died when under interrogation by MACC is yet to be resolved. He did not commit suicide but there is no homicide as well.

BN played the public relations card very well – they managed to play up PR’s shortcomings and in-fighting, play up the good things that the BN Government have done and at the same time down play the mess that the BN Government has and down play the good things that the PR State Government have done. It is not a big surprise indeed. After all, they had the means (APCO, mainstream media, etc) and the cash to pay for the public relations which would have been expensive. In 2010, PR was certainly at a disadvantage when it comes to the battle of the public relations.

And you can be rest assured that BN will continue to play their upper hands on the war of public relations in 2011 and all the way until they are able to wrestle back the State of Selangor and Penang. What PR can do to counter that and get at least some of the confidence lost in 2010 in 2011? What PR can do to reverse the tables on BN?

Some of the steps that PR can take to improve their image and more importantly, the stand with the cautious voters is nothing new – in fact, we can take the cue from BN for some ideas, for example:-

1. Appoint a professional PR agency / military strategist / professional chess-player to advise PR on how to project a more stable, viable and feasible coalition and how to keep one step ahead of the more experienced, better “armed” BN. Just make sure that the agency’s fees are paid from political party funds instead from the State funds so that integrity of appointment can be persevered and creates no room for scandals.

2. Have proper channel for party members to voice their grievousness without them need to make noise in the mainstream media (where the fact can be presented in advantage of BN), twitters, blogs or personal press conferences. Once the channel has been established, ensure that all comments, critics and suggestions by the members are given its due consideration. For those who have a valid complaint / suggestions, give them the room to make their case – it will be helpful in the long run. For those who been making noise because they just want more position and without any substance, there is no need to tolerate them further – just kick them out from the party to minimize the damage.

3. Have periodic update of the oppositions’ progress of work – similar to BN’s KPI but back it with hard facts and statistics. Periodic updates need to be disseminated in multiple media and channels. Such dissemination of information is not only important to counter BN’s accusations and arguments but also to keep the voters who voted them into power updated on the progress of their representatives. Don’t take voters for a ride – voters know how to read in between the lines too

4. Have a selection committee to vet through candidates and representatives to ensure that they work for the people and is not easily swayed by emotion and personal views. Work closely with the Third Force and NGOs who can provide candidates with the right set of values. Give way to pulse of the local community – one good example, getting the right candidates to be appointed leaders to head Sabah and Sarawak branches.

5. Focus on actual work that benefits the people instead of working to highlight the past wrongdoing of the previous Government. Since 2008, too much time, effort and energy been wasted on digging out the past administration mess instead of moving on and doing a good job for the people. At the same time, the effort of digging up the wrongdoing of the previous administration should be left to the enforcement agencies in the country (if they sleep on this, fire the whole lot after you have become the Government)

6. Be more proactive and ensure that what need to be done to ensure smooth operation of the Government is done as early as possible and with the right procedures. Don’t wait until the BN appoints their own people before deciding to the change the constitution and finalizing your set of lists. After all, making the first move is a good strategy and makes it difficult for attacks to be made.

Frankly speaking, it does not take a genius to make the “dos and don’ts list” for Pakatan Rakyat to get their act together in 2011. There is no assurance that they will win back most of the confidence lost on them over the years since 2008 but who knows, Malaysians are forgiving type and there is a pain in the neck called BN who have not make major changes for the betterment of the country.

We still need the opposition to be strong and viable to provide the alternative option for the country. We have been doing nothing but waste money and precious time, bickering among ourselves instead of focusing on what is more important. For Pakatan Rakyat, 2010 was not their year but who knows what can happen in 2011.

I guess to portray a bad image on someone; you can try to make as much noise as possible and hope that the real facts gets drown in the noise…

(What is the real mission of “Misi Tawan Selangor”? Want to wrestle back the state for the good of the people in Selangor or to continue the nonsense that happened before the last general election? Image source: here)

Selangor BN been quite sore ever since they lost one of the “wealthiest” State in Malaysia, so this piece of news was not a big surprise:-

Selangor Barisan Nasional Youth will send a memorandum to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, on Thursday on the sand and water issues in the state.

State Barisan deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the memorandum to be sent to Istana Kayangan here, would appeal to the Sultan to advise the Selangor government not to risk the state’s future merely for its own political interest.

Another 17 ceramah will be held until Aug 8 as part of the ‘Save Selangor” roadshow which will also raise issues such as the alleged lies by PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, sand mining controversy involving Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd and the alleged crisis in the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

I never trusted Noh Omar and his justifications to bring Selangor back to BN’s control. At the end of the day, it is nothing but politics. I am part of Selangor and I just want to ask this Noh Omar one simple question – “What Selangor Pakatan Rakyat have done that is worse than the time Selangor was led by Khir Toyo?”

Let us trace our steps back for a moment.

Illegal sand mining?

Well, that problem had been a pain in the neck even before PR took over the state. So, what’s the big deal? At least the PR State Government is pressured by the own people to work on this (I did not hear the same when Khir was at the pilot’s seat). BN only came in later – perhaps exhausted of new ideas to go against PR in Selangor.

And talking about BN making a lot of noise on sand mining, here is a disturbing news from the net:-

There apparently is more than meets the eye in Barisan Nasional’s attacks on the Selangor government over the sand-mining issue.

There may be large reserves of tin underneath the sand and BN does not want them discovered while Selangor is under Pakatan Rakyat’s rule, according to a memorandum submitted to the state government by the Sand Mining Operators and Contractors Action Committee, which represents sand-related businesses registered with the state-owned Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd.

The memorandum, signed by the committee’s chairman, Raja Kamaruddin Raja Abdul Wahid, urged the state not to give in to BN’s demands.

It may just be the case of sand contractors trying to protect their source of income but then again, what if what they are saying is true? Whatever the reason may be, eliminating illegal sand mining activities in the State is not an easy matter.

What remains to be seen is how effective the PR led State Government is in managing the sand mining in the state and coming down hard on illegal miners.

Water issue in Selangor?

No water issue during Khir Toyo’s time? Are you sure, Noh? Still recall Bukit Cerakah? Is it due to blatant development of water catchment areas during the BN’s time that the State may face a water crisis now?

And it is not like the PR State Government is not aware of the potential water crisis:-

Khalid insisted that there would be sufficient water supply to meet the demands of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur consumers up to the year 2019, based on expert consultations and their calculations of population growth rate, past and present water consumption rates, current production capacity, and water levels in the dams.

He also cautioned against pushing through a large, lucrative contract like the Pahang-Selangor water transfer, saying that it that would incur further national debt, and recommended instead that the project be implemented in 2016.

Khalid had also suggested four alternatives to meet growing water demands instead of the costly Pahang-Selangor water transfer project.

He called for an increased promotion of water recycling, including rainwater harvesting; the exploration of alternative sources of water, such as water from rivers and lakes; and underground water technologies.

Khalid also cited the need to reduce the current high non-revenue water (NRW) rate from 35 per cent to below 20 per cent, and to improve the inter-connectivity of water supply by ensuring a more efficient water transfer from the northern to the southern region of Selangor.

Is the transfer of water from Pahang the only option available for Selangor? Any Plan B in the pocket? What happens if Pahang also faces a water crisis in the future (PR claims that Pahang plan is not a viable solution & there is a conflict of interest) – so where that leaves Selangor?

PR Government is right to push on alternatives for now – they should implement the alternatives and see the impact. They should strive for long term plan on the water resources in the State.

There seems to be a concerted effort by BN to portray PR as being very reckless with management of water. But are they? If you still recall, in 2009 there was a proposal from the State Government to take over the various water operators in the State but guess who went and sabotaged it?

PR State Government is not perfect; I have to admit that – they have their faults especially when it comes to getting all the 3 component political parties to work together and agree on the policies and directions. Finger pointing and dissatisfaction by the PR politicians among each other in the open can be a serious “pain in the neck” for those voted them in.

But at least, they are more accountable than the previous Government. The State’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency have done a fine job unearthing abuses of power and funds by both BN & PR and that should keep everyone on their toes.

And finally, at least under PR, I don’t see the current MB going off to Disneyland with his family and his maids using the state’s funds or seeing any PR assemblymen building palaces and show their middle finger to the authorities at the same time. At least some of the nonsense has stopped.

I really don’t see how this recent clown show is going to help the Perakians in the long run.

(What an irony – the Singh standing to the DAP frog that caused the mess in Perak for many months and unnecessary legal suits and public protests during the good times, of course. Image source: http://daulattuanku.blogspot.com)

DAP’s Perak state representative for Malim Nawar, Keshwinder Singh, announced Tuesday that he has quit his party to become a Barisan-friendly independent.

He also declared support for Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Kadir, saying that he was impressed with his leadership in the last 15 months after Barisan Nasional took over Perak from Pakatan Rakyat.

He also said he was leaving because he was “very disappointed” with the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leadership and the “excessive politicking” that got in the way of him carrying out his duties.

“I found it very hard to work with the Pakatan Rakyat people to serve my constituents,” he said, adding that he could not get any allocation for his constituents.

Not happy with the leadership and have lack of funds has been the usual excuse for politicians to jump ship whilst trying to justify that the action was done in the best interest of the people. Such excuse is very lame and certainly we don’t buy it such bullshits any more.

There will always be some dissatisfaction with the leadership from time to time (just ask the MIC fellows who got kicked out by their President recently) but what is needed is more discussion and a determination to resolve all issues. There must be a need to go through the proper channels rather than painting ugly picture in the public media. A solution must be found in the best interest of Pakatan Rakyat and for the people who voted them into power.

So, if one is saying that he quit because he is not happy at those people at the top – then the question would be – has he addressed them in a better way before calling it a quit?

Having no money for the constituents is another excuse – ex PKR’s Tan Tee Beng used the same excuse, remember?

If Pakatan Rakyat was still helming the State Government, I am pretty sure this fellow would not have quit his party for there would have been fair allocation of funds from the PR led state. But when BN took over the State Government, one can only expect that it will be only a matter of time before the source of funds to the Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen to be squeezed to the maximum. After all, practising double standards when it comes to allocation of public funds under BN is nothing new.

I am pretty sure that the same situation that this fellow faced – i.e. no money to serve the constituents – is also faced by other Pakatan Rakyat politicians in all BN led states. But why then we don’t see massive resignation of the politicians from Pakatan Rakyat and ending up as BN friendly independent traitors politicians?

Perhaps they have better integrity and understanding of the constituents’ sentiments? Perhaps they are better at fund raising and creative allocation of whatever money that they have so that their constituents can be continued to be served proudly despite the lack of allocation from the state? Perhaps they are just biting the bullet and endeavouring the hardship so that they can give the best for the people?

Good service not necessarily means throwing millions of ringgit on the constituent. Where there is a clear lack of money, plenty of things can be done with good character, integrity and a good sense of creativity.

After all the hard work, sweat, tears and curse, it is fair for one to reap the rewards…

(The frogs after the mayhem, not worried about the state of the State and happy with the rewards to come. Image source: TheStar)

One got Datukship but for what (other than for a great “jumping” skills), only ET knows.

Two got their charges dropped, well no big surprise there. When they were still under Pakatan Rakyat, there were already rumours that the charges were trumped up to add the pressure on these two to resign. Now it looks like it was so.

3 got their rewards, the voters got screwed and a state went into chaos.